Sarah Legge from Platform writes: This article in the Financial Times on last Saturday caught my eye – Blair works on makeover for Kazakhstan.
“Tony Blair has added Kazakhstan to his roster of oil-rich clients, advising the authoritarian Central Asian regime on economic reforms and how to present a better face to the west.
The former Labour prime minister is working with other prominent New Labour figures, including Alastair Campbell, his former spin doctor, and Jonathan Powell, one-time chief of staff, says one person with knowledge of the arrangement.”
Is there no authoritarian government Blair will not cosy up to if they have oil? Kazakhstan has an extremely poor human rights record yet apparently Blair doesn’t see any problems with working with them to improve their image and work on “economic reforms”. No mention of general reforms; to elections, the press and ending harassment of opposition.
Mind you given what has happened to the last dodgy leader who became BFF with Blair (Gaddafi) maybe Nursultan Nazarbayev should be the one being more careful!